MINNEAPOLIS – The North Central University women's basketball team faced-off in another UMAC contest on Wednesday night, where they played host to the Knights of Martin Luther College (MLC). In a variety of ways, the Rams dominated in almost every facet of the game to knock off the Knights with no trouble by a final score of 74-60.

Game Recap

Complete dominance of the lead for the Rams held the storyline in this one. From the opening tip, NCU managed to outpace MLC in multiple facets of the contest. Tremendous ball movement for the Blue and Gold guided their synergy on the offensive front, while stingy defense forced the Knights to turn the ball over 21 times. Even though it was not the best shooting night for the Rams from an efficiency standpoint, it shows that their tremendous versatility can help them win games in a variety of ways. NCU dictated the pace of the game the entire way and held onto the lead from the 2:53 mark in the first quarter. This provides credibility to the Rams' resilience by not letting the Knights back into the game. They continued to play at the level they're capable of regardless of the scoreboard and keep their foot on the gas pedal from both ends of the court. Vital games like these show the potential this NCU women's basketball squad has to put UMAC teams away and find their way back into the playoffs for a second consecutive year.

Key Performer(s)

• Emily DiGiorgio showcased another ferocious night down low for the Rams defensively and from the offensive end. The junior center recorded another double-double with 19 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 blocks to continue proving herself as one of the elite centers in the UMAC.
• Allison Bulthuis put together a well-rounded stat-line in the contest by notching 11 points, grabbing 5 rebounds, dishing out 4 assists, and even tallying 2 steals.

Coaches Corner

We took time to catch up with Head Coach Paul Brunner on his reaction from tonight's game, and he had this to say of his team:

"I am proud of our effort tonight. I think it says a lot about our team that we are able to win when we don't feel like we played anywhere near your best. We have to continue to get better every day. We have a great group of players, and I am extremely proud of them. Go Rams!"

-Head Coach Paul Brunner


Looking Ahead

NCU women's basketball continues to float around a .500 record, as they have now moved on to 4-4 overall and 2-1 in the UMAC. The Rams will now look ahead to this Saturday, where they will hit the road to clash with the University of Minnesota, Morris Cougars. The Blue and Gold are in search of capitalizing off their momentum, in hopes of knocking off a well-established Cougar basketball program that currently sits at an undefeated UMAC record of 2-0. Tip-off is slated for 4:45 p.m.